Hochempfindliche

Hochempfindliche is a German adjective meaning highly sensitive. It is formed from hoch, meaning high, and empfindlich, meaning sensitive. The base form hochempfindlich is used for masculine and neuter nouns in many contexts, while the inflected form hochempfindliche is used before feminine singular nouns (for example, die hochempfindliche Frau) and in certain plural forms after definite articles (die hochempfindlichen Frauen). The noun Hochempfindlichkeit denotes the state or quality of being highly sensitive.

Usage and contexts

In psychology and everyday language, hochempfindlich describes people or behaviors with heightened sensory or emotional awareness. In technology and measurement, the term is used to characterize instruments or systems with high sensitivity to signals, such as hochempfindliche Sensoren (high-sensitivity sensors) for light, sound, or chemical detection. The expression can also describe physical features, such as hochempfindliche Ohren or hochempfindliche Reaktionen, referring to ears or responses that are easily affected by stimuli.

Relation to related terms

Hochempfindlichkeit is the corresponding noun form for the quality, while synonyms and related concepts include empfindlich (sensitive), sensibel (sensory), and Hochsensibilität, which is sometimes used in psychological or social contexts to describe high sensory processing.

Notes

The term is neutral and widely used in both technical and everyday German. As with many German compounds, its precise meaning is determined by context, especially the noun it modifies and the article or determiner used.